CINCINNATI – The Jets’ bold dream of a magical Super Bowl run lives on.
After today’s 24-14 wildcard playoff win over the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, the dreams of the confident Jets are, in fact, living rather large.
Six days after dismantling the Bengals 37-0 in the regular-season finale to get into the playoffs, the Jets beat them again and advanced to an AFC divisional playoff matchup against either the Colts or Chargers.
A Ravens’ win over the Patriots today in New England will send the Jets to San Diego for a Sunday afternoon game. A Patriots’ win over the Ravens sets up a delicious Saturday night rematch against the Colts in Indianapolis. The Jets beat the Colts three weeks ago in Indianapolis to end the Colts’ undefeated season.
For the Jets, they could care less who they play. They’ve crowed for weeks that no team wants to face them in the playoffs and, with the way they’re playing right now, their rants seem rather prescient. The Jets, winning their first playoff game since Jan. 8, 2005 in San Diego, have now won six of their last seven games after they were mired in a three-game losing streak and 4-6 at Thanksgiving.
Their rousing victory was spurred by a marvelously-efficient game by Mark Sanchez, the only rookie quarterback playing in these playoffs. Sanchez, who played his finest game as a pro, was 12-of-15 for 182 yards with a TD and – most importantly – no turnovers. It was the first time this season Sanchez, who entered the game with 20 INTs and three lost fumbles this season, has gone three consecutive games without a turnover.
As good as Sanchez was, rookie running back Shonn Greene emerged as a star, rushing for 135 yards and a TD on 21 carries. Thomas Jones added a rushing TD. And Sanchez connected with tight end Dustin Keller on a 45-yard TD.
Despite a shaky start to the game, the Jets showed the resolve they’ve displayed since their 4-6 start and took a 14-7 lead into halftime, thanks to a 39-yard scoring run by Greene and the 45-yard Sanchez TD pass to Dustin Keller (3-99, TD). The Bengals took a 7-0 lead on an 11-yard Carson Palmer scoring passing to Laveranues Coles, who was the beneficiary of soft coverage by Jets cornerback Dwight Lowery, with 7:07 remaining in the first quarter.
The Jets tied the game at 7-7 on the 39-yard scoring run by Greene with 11:52 remaining in the first half. The play, a misdirection pitch left to Greene after a fake handoff to fullback Tony Richardson, completely fooled the Bengals’ defense. Keller had a key seal block on the outside to secure the hole for Greene.
Keller later went one better, catching the 45-yard Sanchez TD pass to give the Jets a 14-7 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first half. On the play, Keller got behind Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones and safety Chinendum Ndukwe by more than five yards, allowing Sanchez to loft a perfect pass to him.
Blowing up their opening drive of the third quarter, the Jets had a 42-yard Jay Feely field goal taken off the board on an inexcusable holding penalty by Robert Turner. Feely then attempted a 52-yarder, but the play was blown dead because of a false start penalty by Wayne Hunter. Feely, filling in for a sick Steve Weatherford, then ended up punting. Instead of a 17-7 lead, it left the Jets still clinging to their 14-7 lead.
The Jets got a big break when Bengals kicker Shayne Graham, one of most accurate kickers in the NFL, missed a 35-yard field goal attempt just wide left on the ensuing drive. The Jets went up 21-7 on a nine-yard Jones scoring run with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Bengals cut it to 21-14 on a 47-yard Benson scoring run with 11:04 remaining.
But the Jets extended it to 24-14 on a 20-yard Feely FG with 5:47 remaining that was set up by a 43-yard Sanchez pass play to Keller.It ended officially for the Bengals when Graham missed his second FG of the game, this one from 28 yards out with 3:49 remaining.